Bb Administrator

Keynote:  Michael Chason

This will comprise an introduction to v9, dubbed Next Generation (and always referred to as NG).
A recurring theme throughout the talk was a spoof on the MS/Mac commercials where a  button down guy plays Microsoft and a with-it dude plays Macintosh.  In this case the button–down dude is Blackboard v.4-8 and the with-it [...]

Addressing diverse needs through online orientation experiences
Weds. 8:30
See Handout.  They’re from Excelsior College, formerly Regents College in Albany NY.  They were an entity of the state but no longer.  They have 33,000 students but no buildings, classes, faculty offices.  The whole deal is at a distance.  They are one of the top educators [...]

. . . in large, lecture only courses.
Patricia Dinneen – Inst. Designer
First let me suggest that this is the last session on the last day and there was nothing else available.
The speaker works at George Washington University in DC. They have lecture-based classes with sections. In addition to the instructor there is a [...]

Shea Ramquist
The browser locks students out of browsing, copy-and-paste.  Full screen, so it can’t be minimized.  Students can’t open up any other file on their computer.  The right-click is locked down, and the control and function tools don’t work.  Screen copy is turned off.
This would work in a lab, but not when the student is [...]

StudyMate: Class Server Demonstration
Shea Ramquist

Will start with a live demonstration.
“Ultimate study group,” that will allow students and faculty to create and share flash projects. Engaging and fun, he promises.
Works in the “Classic” environment. Students will see View and Edit tabs. User goes to Flash cards and can create questions and answers. And there is [...]

Erin —-, head of instructional design. Exemplary course design winner.
University of North FL – Jackonsonville. 16,000 students, 500+ faculty.
1200 instructors on Bb, 1900+ active users
They create Bb templates that can be used across multiple courses. Any Bb course can be used as a template for another.
They have a Bb orientation course (not unlike the last [...]

Wayne and Karen Jacobs
LeTourneau University
They ask us to discuss good experiences with education, and bad experiences.  Some of the good were when the instructors were involved, and bad was when they were not.
So then we play Jeopardy with some very easy questions to answer.  Answers to question.  In an event, people who answered correctly got [...]

First guy is an instructional tech from a minute Catholic school in TX
Trainer role changes from sage on stage to ringmaster

Instructors share ideas
Peer to peer learning
Ask specific questions
One slide per question
Discuss and give prizes (?!)
Homework opportunity

Every ten minutes take a break.  (you’ve got to be kidding)
Second guy is a logistics instructor from US Army College [...]

Situation for students –
A vast majority of students have Facebook accounts.  It is one of the most used apps among college students.  Unfortunately academic life is not well represented in Facebook; students see it as a social site, not an education site.
Our goal should be to connect with students in ways and places that are [...]

Newly designed grade center.  Jeez, we just got a new grade center, and now they want us to introduce faculty to yet a new one?!
He suggests that this grade center represents the best of WebCT and Bb.
Gradebook:
Maximize instructor efficiency, increase flexibility, increase customization, powerful data analysis, and greater communication.
Self and Peer assessment:
Don’t we have that [...]

How can I create a rubric that helps instructional designers, professors, and students?
See the handout “Let’s talk about writing learning objectives or learning outcomes.” She has an example of a learning objective, and then asks us to write our own.
The example is: Given a French sentence written in the past or present tense, the second [...]

The annual Blackboard conference was held in Las Vegas during the heat of the summer: mid-July.  The temperatures combined with the rigor of the conference itself to keep me inside for the entire period.  Literally the only time I was out of the hotel/conference facility was to get back and forth the airport.  I have [...]

This is my blog about administration issues for Bb.  Posts includes updates on new features, timing for new course creation, planned downtime and known problems.  Use the comments box for more information or email Robert Harris at harrisr@wpunj.edu